The Secret iPad List to Bring Down Boehner

When the failed House Republican revolution came, it came by iPad. Now that House Speaker John Boehner has survived the rebellion, all of D.C. now knows which conservative House members were conspiring to mount a challenge.

When the failed House Republican revolution came, it came by iPad. Now that House Speaker John Boehner has survived the rebellion, all of D.C. now knows which conservative House members were conspiring to mount a challenge, thanks to a list that one of the coup's leaders brandished on the House floor during the vote.

A Politico photographer captured Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas (pictured above), who Boehner had removed from a committee for refusing to cooperate, tapping his iPad during the roll call, checking off a list of names of other Congressmen he thought might join him in voting against Boehner. The list was titled, appropriately, "You would be fired if this goes out," Politico's Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan report. They hedge, "It’s not clear that any of the Republicans on Huelskamp’s list knew they were on it, or even knew of the list’s existence," but let's look at who were at least expected to vote against Boehner:

Steve King of Iowa

Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming

Paul Gosar of Arizona

Scott Garrett of New Jersey

Steve Fincher of Tennessee

Scott Desjarlais of Tennessee

Earlier this week, outgoing Louisiana Rep. Jeff Landry bragged to Breitbart News that the anti-Boehner ranks were 17 to 20 members strong, though in the end, only nine voted against their speaker, while two didn't vote, and one voted present. Breitbart's Matthew Boyle reports on Friday that there were several more names on Huelskamp's list:

Jeff Duncan of South Carolina

Mo Brooks of Alabama. Update: Brooks's communications director emails to say Breitbart News did not contact Brooks's office to confirm the list, and that Brooks "always intended to vote for John Boehner, given that there was no alternative candidate running."

Sam Graves of Missouri

Steve Southerland of Florida

Trey Gowdy of South Carolina

David Schweikert of Arizona

Tom Cotton of Arkansas

Brett Guthrie of Kentucky

Perhaps Huelskamp anticipated some would chicken out, since if some poor aide risked being "fired" for the list getting out, surely a House member might fear the wrath of Boehner for actually voting against him.

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.

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